Kazakhstan to Supply 500,000 Tons of Wheat to Israeli Market
· Tarım Pusulası
Kazakhstan is in talks for a long-term agreement to sell up to 500,000 tons of quality wheat annually to Israel. In return for grain exports, Israel's advanced irrigation and agricultural technologies will be transferred to Kazakhstan.
500,000 Tons of Wheat to the Israeli Market
Kazakhstan has put long-term supply contracts on the agenda with the aim of exporting between 200,000 and 500,000 tons of food-grade wheat to Israel. The offer, announced at the 10th meeting of the Kazakhstan-Israel Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation held in Jerusalem, was made by Kazakhstan's state grain company Prodkorporatsiya. Samat Tenbayev, Deputy Chairman of the Company's Management Board, stated that they are ready to supply high-quality wheat according to the needs of the Israeli market. Kazakhstan, which achieved a high harvest this season, offers significant supply opportunities to Israeli flour millers seeking raw materials with high protein and gluten content.
Logistics Corridors and Market Balance
While Israel imports over 2 million tons of wheat annually, it also continues to purchase barley, corn, and oilseeds from global markets. The main obstacles to shipments from Kazakhstan are transportation distance and logistics costs. In this regard, the two countries are examining routes passing through Azerbaijan and Georgia, as well as Baltic Sea ports, as alternatives. According to Prodkorporatsiya data, Kazakh agricultural products are currently exported to more than 80 countries, and its market share in the Middle East, Europe, and Southeast Asian markets is rapidly expanding.
Technology Cooperation in Water and Irrigation
Discussions between the two countries are not limited to grain trade alone but also encompass the transfer of advanced agricultural technologies to Kazakhstan. Particularly, modern Israeli solutions for combating drought in Kazakhstan's geography, where water resources are limited, are being considered. Pressurized irrigation systems that save water and the reuse of treated wastewater in agricultural production are among the priority areas. Furthermore, artificial intelligence-supported agricultural automation applications aimed at increasing field management efficiency are shaping the future of cooperation between the two countries.
| Value | Period | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| 200 thousand tonnes | — | Lower limit of planned wheat exports to Israel |
| 500 thousand tonnes | — | Upper limit of planned wheat exports to Israel |
| 80 countries | — | Number of countries to which Kazakhstan's agricultural products are exported |
| 2 million tonnes | annual | Israel's annual wheat imports |